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What I Think

How much is too much?

Each year in Australia there are about 10 mega draw lotteries. These are the ones where the first division prize is more money than God.

Last night one such draw for $40million took place and was one by a single individual who will now have more ‘friends’ than God.

Mostly people who win these prizes are broke again in a short period of time. They may have some trinkets and some cars and some property but generally the lion share has been pissed up against a wall or given to family and friends.

The only way IMHO to act when something like this comes your way is to do nothing.

My emergency plan for what to do when a multi multi million dollar lottery prize comes my way:

  1. As the money doesn’t actually arrive for a couple of weeks (Police checks and anti-fraud test are conducted) it’s planning time.
  2. Create a team: lawyer, accountant, financial planners.
  3. Have the lawyer and accountant create a charity.
  4. Get the financial planners to start looking at investment options. Step one here is to open a margin account offset against 100% of the winnings. You’ll see why this is important later.
  5. The aim of this plan is give away 100% of the interest earned every year. But remember, we now have two piles of cash; the winnings and the margin loan.
  6. Invest both, not conservatively and not outrageously risky either. A little risk is good. A lot of risk is heart attack city.
  7. Now create another team of advisors from business, charity, science and the arts. Three from each area are required.
  8. Promote the charity and ask for submissions from the public as to where the money should go. Remember, it’s just the interest that’s being given away not the principle so you can do this every year.
  9. Have your team review all submissions and vote on two winning entries from each category.
  10. The president of the charity can award an overall winner to one of the eight semi finalists.
  11. Each winning submission (2 from each of 4 categories being 8 in total) receive 1/10th of the interest earned for that year. Another 1/10 is given as the presidents prize. 1/10 is reinvested so that the principal always grows so each year there should be even more money to give away.
  12. Eg assuming a lacklustre 10% return on $40mil each recipient would get about $400,000 dollars. The next year they would get $410,000. SImple figure only and counting taxes or fees etc.
  13. The other $40mil margin loan is earning interest at the same rate but costing 5% in interest making a gross return of $2million pa. Who couldn’t live, very fucking happily, on $2M pa and have given away over $3.6M to worthy recipients.
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What I Think

I’m not gay but my mo is. Not that there’s anything wrong with it!

So a disturbing and surprising development in my Mo quest as the end of Movember 09 draws near.

Apparently rather than growing a John Newcomb/Dennis Lillie style Mo this year it seems to have developed in to a style all by itself.

The YouTube ID of http://youtube.com/w/?v=tdbt-sx5MDc is invalid.

I even got hit upon by a couple of Village People look-a-likes at the Harley-Davidson stand of the Sydney International Motorbike Show last weekend. Not cool!

Be that as it may, Movember is still on and I’m still being laughed at and now sought after as a gay toy boy. Therefore I’m still asking for Monations to the cause. All money raised goes to prostate cancer research and anti-depression initiatives.

A big thank you to Gillian Corban of Corban & Blair fame who made a very generous donation last week. Corban & Blair is the perfect place to start your Christmas gift shopping this year if you want to give beautiful gifts of style, substance and meaning for anyone in any age group .

And next week’s update will contain the ‘List of Mo Supporters’ with who gave what.

Some people commented last week that they couldn’t find the link to the donation page so I made it a bit easier to find. In fact this whole paragraph is a link too. No more excuses.

>>>>>>THIS IS THE LINK<<<<<<

Took this on a bus on Oxford street a day ago. How could anyone consider this the slightest bit gay?

16 NOV

10 NOV

Regards,
Craig Ashley Russell

For Movember you can donate right here http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205

MOBILE +61 (0) 418 468 470
EMAIL me

BIG THOUGHTS http://www.craigashleyrussell.com
LITTLE THOUGHTS http://www.twitter.com/CrAshRus <—-NEW TWITTER
SKYPE crashrus
http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205

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What I Think

The Slow Grow Mo – Day 16!

Hi all,

The ridiculousness continues. The funny looks I get while sitting in cafés is only matched by the jokes made at my expense while sitting in meetings – you know who I’m talking about!

Alas, my pain is eased somewhat by the knowledge that I am helping to support not one but two very worthwhile causes.

So below you can see the embarrassment that my slow-grow-mo is causing – I wish my hair grew that slowly. (By the way, it’s the same colour shirt, not the same shirt as last week)

Big big big thanx to my big sister who coughed up some cash last week. Sorry about hiding those cicada shells in your bed when we were growing up.

Standard blurb begins…prize for those who find the hidden donation link below! (Oh, and I also have a new twitter handle – it’s down the bottom)

Once again I am growing a moustache for Movember. I have decided to put down my razor for one month (November) and help raise awareness and funds for men’s health – specifically prostate cancer and depression in men. Let me assure you, the second one is no fun at all and I imagine the first one is even less so.

What many people don’t appreciate is that close to 3,000 men die of prostate cancer each year in Australia and one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime – many of whom don’t seek help. Facts like these have convinced me I should get involved and I am hoping that you will support me.

To sponsor my Mo, you can either:

• Click this link and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account
• Write a cheque payable to ‘Movember Foundation’, referencing my Registration Number 19205 and mailing it to: Movember Foundation, PO Box 292, Prahran, VIC, 3181

Remember, all donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Movember is now in its sixth year and, to date, has achieved some pretty amazing results by working alongside The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCFA) and beyondblue: the national depression initiative. Check out further details at: http://au.movemberfoundation.com/research-and-programs.

If you are interested in following the progress of my Mo, click here http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205/. Also, http://au.movember.com has heaps of useful information.

Thank you

photo 14

16 NOV

photo 13

10 NOV

Regards,
Craig Ashley Russell

For Movember you can donate right here http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205

MOBILE +61 (0) 418 468 470
EMAIL me

BIG THOUGHTS http://www.craigashleyrussell.com
LITTLE THOUGHTS http://www.twitter.com/CrAshRus <—-NEW TWITTER
SKYPE crashrus
http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205 http://au.movember.com/mospace/19205

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What I Think

The Secret to Writing Great Copy…

… is not using typographical tricks like placing an ellipsis at the end of a headline to “lure” the reader in.

I mention this because I have just received another marketing/spam email offering me the opportunity to learn the ‘Top Tips’ of a master sales copywriter. I’ve already learned the craft of copywriting from some of the legends of the industry; writers who can take the smallest or most seemingly insignificant benefit of a product or service and create a big idea to entertain and persuade their audience to change their behaviour. No easy task.

In the email I received there are at least another 30 “Top Tips” that the so called expert copywriter is willing to teach ordinary people. (I’ve never meet an ordinary human especially as there are 6 billion unique models running around the planet).

Let’s be very clear; the best copywriters in the world work for the best advertising agencies in the world. They do not write spam emails about how to write spam emails under the guise of Internet marketing.

So here is my three top tips for spotting scam copy online or in an email;

  1. It’s very, very, very long – You’re halfway through it before you have any idea what it’s about except you’re promised that your salary or penis will be much larger for little cost and/or effort just by clicking a link.
  2. It’s too good to be true – turn your annual salary into your monthly, weekly or daily salary. Quadruple your profits overnight. But you only get to the ‘offer’ after reading a type of prose which is a written is a style that is half evangelical and half brain washing.
  3. It’s full of praise – Typically the praise is for a person or system that the sender is trying to convince you to use.

What I really hate about this kind of Internet marketing is that it preys on the naive, gullible, simple or desperate. And for this reason alone I will do my best to educate people as to the different types of deplorable tricks that the majority of Internet marketers use.

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What I Think

Truth told not so well

In late April of this year two young creatives from the advertising agency George Patterson/Y&R created the attached video. It’s all very funny. Their premise is that by taking an ordinary item on eBay and reselling that item on eBay but by adding ‘creativity’ they can increase profits.

So that’s what their little video proves. But we’re also asked to suspend reality because there is no way in Hell that any of the statements made in their eBay ad could be applied or translated in any way whatsoever to a real world product. And not get fined by the relative governing authorities or ridiculed by the public. Contrary to the belief of some PR hacks, controversy does NOT create cash.

Rather then demonstrating how ‘creativity’ can help sell, I think all this exercise does is to further portray advertising as a profession based on telling falsehoods; that we lie for a living. Real advertising is so much more and it’s a pity that these two kids, and their bosses at what was once the largest agency in the country, think lying is what advertising is all about.

McCann-Erickson have a great corporate motto which I have always tried to live up to in my advertising days; truth told well.

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What I Think

Product review

This is a review I posted of a product on the manufacturer’s website. Will be interesting to see if they post it.Worst Product Ever

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What I Think

Australian advertising creativity gets sponsored into the 21st century

Google’s creative push sees it become AWARD School’s main sponsor

With the new sponsorship arrangement between AWARD and Google there is a high probablilit that future copywriters and art directors will be taught beyond the full page ad or 60 sec TVC.

For many years these formats have been the holy grail of a creatives’ career. The effectiveness as a marketing tool however has been sliding for almost the same time.

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What I Think

New Dyson Product Blows

I wish I could take credit for that headline but I’m paraphrasing a couple of sub-editors from different print and online media outlets.

In King George’s diary on July 4th 1776 he wrote, “Nothing important happened today”. Considering it took weeks or months for news from the colonies to arrive in London he was of course unaware that the American colonists had revolted against English rule and were in the process of claiming independence from his reign.

Perhaps the same could be written for 13/14th October 2009 because it appears that the biggest story of the day was that a bloke who makes vaccum cleaners is now making fans.

I woke up to this ‘breaking news’ as the lead story on SMH.com and News.com.au. It stayed the feature story for most of the day. Are you kidding me? It’s a product story. It deserves no more pixels than, well, it deserves no pixels. Are editors so stuck for content that press releases for gadgets now count as news.

And now as I wind down for the evening, Fast Company is featuring the product on their homepage. I don’t know who Sir James is paying for this PR hackery but as a news story it sux. And every editor and sub-editor who has contributed to this spin needs to have a rethink about their career and responsibility to their readers.

So very, very sad.

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What I Think

Kate Miller Heidke on Social Media

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What I Think

Behind the scenes with Stephen Colbert. And some dude with big ears.

So some back story. In June 09 Stephen Colbert packed up his late night political satire show, Colbert Nation,  and took it on the road to Camp Victory, Iraq. It was brilliant. Just 4 eps but each one brilliant. On night one he interviews General Raymond Odierno (Commanding General, Multi-National Force—Iraq). Watch it here from Comedy Channel. Then watch the video below. And wait to the end to see what Stephen does…